


I was 900 when we met. I'm much older now

by Rambling_Museums



Series: Doctor Who oneshots [5]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Asexual Doctor (Doctor Who), Because Children of Earth wasn't that great, Café, Fluff, Gen, Lots of Cuddling, Non-Children of Earth Complient, One-Sided Attraction, Platonic Cuddling, Post Revolution, Pre-Skyfall, because fuck that noise, ianto lives, one sided Thasmin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 06:54:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22231915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rambling_Museums/pseuds/Rambling_Museums
Summary: The Doctor and Jack catch up while she waits for Graham.
Relationships: The Doctor & Jack Harkness, The Doctor & Yasmin Khan
Series: Doctor Who oneshots [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1626529
Comments: 11
Kudos: 196





	I was 900 when we met. I'm much older now

The Doctor sat on one of those low, squishy, comfy couches that hip little cafes put in their windows. The whole point of those couches was to entice uni students to spend far too much time in the cafes drinking tea and studying. Her heavy combat boots were half tucked under the low coffee table that sat crookedly between the couch and two squishy looking chairs. She and the Fam were taking a laundry break in Sheffield, the trip was juuust long enough for the Doctor to get board of the Sheffield Museum. Lots of cool things there but even more mistakes. The bear was brilliant.

No one was studying in the cafe that day though. Instead the Doctor leaned into her companion’s side. She hadn’t been this small since Jamie had been her companion – thousands of years ago now. It wasn’t often she fit the role of ‘little spoon’ as the kids say (the doctor didn’t quite understand that saying but liked the way it sounded all the same!). It didn’t help matters that when she was a white haired Scotsman she wasn’t much of a cuddler. Hadn’t been much of a cuddler for lifetimes really.

Jack’s arm wrapped around the Doctor holding her close and just resting with her. It was a surprise when his Doctor Detector (Now without severed hand!) went off and led him to the small, northern blond woman but a pleasant one. At least, it was pleasant after a bit of shouting. While Jack couldn’t think of this new body as an ‘improvement’ it was definitely not a poor out come.

For one thing, this body was cuddly. Jack had always been a cuddler. He didn’t get the chance much at the moment what with the modern ideas of modesty and toxic masculinity but when he could, Jack would cuddle.

The Doctor tucked one socked foot up under her hip and let the other dangle toward the ground as she sipped her tea. Jack took a long pull of his coffee and smiled down at the top of the Doctor’s head. He knew he could not travel with her anymore – his life was tied up with earth for a while yet – but this version of the Doctor had less manic energy then the last one Jack saw and Jack was enjoying the quiet cuddle. It reminded him of the first face Jack met. With added cuddle.

“Is this what I missed out on when you and Rose would cuddle up to watch a movie?” the Doctor asked sinking into the comfortable, safe feeling Jack provided.

Jack laughed, “I bought you a drink!” The doctor shot him a quizzical look but the captain didn’t elaborate on it. “Yeah, kind of. Back when you were a crotchety old fart and barely let us hold your hands.”

“I still miss her sometimes.” the Doctor confessed. She didn’t like dwelling on the past especially not after regeneration. But for some reason those companions who accompanied her through such a monumental personal transformation always followed her thoughts. Rose, Clara, Sarah Jane. The list went on.

“Me too.”

“Listen to us!” the Doctor said with artificial cheer, “maudlin old men – women – woman and man – whatever – sittin’ on a couch in Sheffield.” Jack forced a chuckle through his teeth. They were both happy despite appearances they just tended towards depressing reminiscences.  
“Yeah about that, love the new look.”

“Does it suit me?”

“Yes.” Jack rubbed her arm.

“Thanks. Still gettin’ used to it. Who’da thought spending 13 lifetimes as a man would make spending one as a woman so confusing? I doesn’t help much that I’ve only been this me for about a year.”

“14 regenerations? Last time I saw you it was 10!”

“Technically, 15 faces or, well, 14 faces and the Hand, but one of them doesn’t have the right to be called ‘Doctor’ so I am the 13th.” she shrugged. Talking to Jack about that was much easier than talking to her Fam (Her gang? Her team?). Jack was nearly as old as she was, used to the trials of time travel, had known her for a few thousand years, and was himself from a time where Time Lords were known – or at least existed in Human legends.

She felt a bit bad about keeping secrets but they were all so accommodating whenever she changed the subject. And its not like they would understand anyway. Still too new.

* * *

“Yaz! Ryan!” The doctor made no move to get up to greet the two young people who entered. She didn’t pull away from Jack either except to get their attention. Once she had it she settled back down under Jack’s arm. Yaz looked like a young lady but Jack didn’t want to assume anything. She had Pakistani or Indian heritage and very pretty dark hair. Ryan looked like a young man but Jack didn’t want to assume anything. Ryan slipped on the corner of the mostly decorative, ancient rag carpet but caught himself well enough, “Where’s Graham?” the Doctor asked ignoring, or oblivious to, the looks Yaz and Ryan were sending their way, “I left him a message, meet here,” she checked her watch, “now. Well three minutes ago. You’re late!”

“Graham’s on his way. His bus was delayed.” Yaz said, Ryan showed the Doctor a text. Jack read over her head _Tell the Doc I’m running a bit late. A problem on the 1152, you know how it is._ Two minutes later by the time stamps another one said _And don’t let her leave without me!_

Jack snorted at the Doctor’s indignant squawk, “I wouldn’t leave without Graham! Oh don’t you start Jack! That was one time.”

“It was about two and a half times or did you forget the end of the universe?” Jack snapped her bracer gently over her shoulder, reprimanding her forgetfulness. He was old enough to no longer mind what happened. He hadn’t forgiven the Doctor but he understood the Time Lord’s reasoning. He did like to tease though.

“Oi! Blimey I had. It’s been a few thousand years.” 

“Who is this Doc?” Ryan asked.

“Ryan, Yaz, this is Captain Jack Harkness. We’re old friends.” the Doctor beamed up at her young companions. Ryan smiled back.

“If we’re going to wait for Graham, I’m getting a coffee. Want one Ryan?” Yaz said. Ryan refused and grabbed a seat in one of the two low, squishy, slightly uncomfortable arm chairs with a sad, flat throw pillow stuffed halfway behind the seat cushion as Yaz went up to the counter. 

Jack tightened his arm around the Doctor’s shoulders as Ya z made her way back to the window seats. The young Brit plonked unhappily into the second chair like Ryan’s. 

“So how do you know the Doctor?” Yaz asked. Jack ignored the slightly bitter edge to the girl’s voice. He was used to people falling in love with the Doctor by now. 

“Oh we met a long time ago. 1942 I think, is that right?” 

“I don’t know! I’ve been all over that year so many times its impossible to keep it all straight!” She sounded indignant but didn’t move to get up or push him away. 

“Whenever it was, we met but the Doctor looked different back then.” Jack shrugged his free shoulder and nearly sloshed coffee all over himself. 

“You met during WWII? How’d you manage that then?” Ryan asked.

“I know right?” Jack shot him a winning smile, “I don’t look a day over 400.” He winked.

“Sorry but,” Ryan trailed off.  
“Oh come off it Jack.” the Doctor reprimanded him he’s young enough to be your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandson or something. And don’t think I won’t use Ianto against you!”

“She always does this, I was just saying hello.” Jack said with a half-hearted glare at the Doctor who stared back up at him.

* * *

“Sorry I’m late!” Graham puffed as he pushed into the cafe. The Doctor’s tea sat forgotten and cold on the table next to Jack’s empty cup. Yaz nearly chocked on her second to last mouthful at Graham’s abrupt arrival. Ryan just smiled at his gramps. 

“No worries, we were just chattin’” the Doctor rose from her spot at Jack’s side, “now that you’re here we can get going though!” Yaz gave up on the last of her drink, setting her cup down next to the Doctor’s and Jack’s. She and Ryan got up and wove their way to the door. 

“Are you coming Jack?” Ryan asked. 

“No, but Yaz, can I have a word? Not like that Doctor. Just a word.”

“Alright. I’ll be just over there though.” She pointed a finger at Jack as if to warn him, or beg him, not to scare off her new friend. 

\--

“So.” Yaz tried to prompt Jack but he just shushed her until the door closed firmly behind the Doctor, Ryan, and Graham. 

“I met the Doctor a long time ago.” He started.

“Yeah, what 75, 80 years ago?”

“No.” Jack shook his head, “more than 2000 years ago my personal time line and way longer than that for hers.”

“What?” 

“We are both time travellers – well I used to be. Pretty settled on earth for the moment but I have a lot of life left in me so who knows what will happen in the future.”

“I thought that you were human?”

“I am – or I was. It doesn’t matter. Its complicated. What matters is that I know the Doctor. And I know she is wonderful and amazing and brilliant but she is also awful, terrible, and dangerous. 

“She needs people to travel with her. When I first started travelling there was me and another, then a few more, then she travelled on her own for a bit and. Well it didn’t go well. She became bitter and angry. She hurt some people.”

“She wouldn’t. The Doctor is good.” Yaz countered angrily. 

“No she is not good. She once said that Good Men don’t need rules, only bad men who wanted to do good need rules, she has a lot of rules.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

Jack sighed, “I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to tell you that she won’t return your feelings. She can’t. We are far too young for her – and too different.”  he tried to show her as much compassion as he could but he could hardly conceive being so young anymore. It was hard to remember what a crush on the Doctor felt like. 

Jack still loved the Doctor with all his being but it was a different sort of love than the hot infatuation with one of the marvels of the universe that he started out with.  That ache had dissipated with his anger over the years. This version of the Doctor seemed just as oblivious to Yaz as Sandshoes had been to Martha. Jack didn’t want Yaz to feel the same sting of rejection Martha faced. “She is amazing and she loves all of her companions but not like you or I love her.”

* * *

Yaz rejoined the group and the Doctor swung her arms over Yaz and Ryan’s shoulders, “Well fam! New Year’s is just around the corner. Why don’t we find somewhere – some when! - to celebrate it?”

**Author's Note:**

> sorry about any stupid mistakes, I didn't have the energy to edit this very well.


End file.
